Alec Baldwin reveals severe health struggles and blames it on Rust shooting fallout

Alec Baldwin has opened up about his mental health struggles over the last year and reflected on how the Rust shooting controversy impacted him and his family.

Actor Alec Baldwin has spoken candidly about how he has struggled with his mental health over the past few years.

The 67-year-old recently spoke on the Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction podcast alongside host Dave Manheim and reflected on bouts of depression and other health issues.

He tied much of this to his involvement in the involuntary manslaughter that saw cinematographer Halyna Hutchins killed.

In 2024, prosecutors in New Mexico filed involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin for the second time.

This came after the shooting on the set of film Rust in 2021 that involved Hutchins. This was when Baldwin was first charged with involuntary manslaughter however the charges were dropped three months later.

Baldwin cried in court after hearing the trial for involuntary manslaughter was dismissed (Ramsay de Give-Pool/Getty Images)

Speaking on the podcast, Baldwin said: “The people I was most concerned about, the people I had the deepest pain for, were my wife and my kids.

“I don’t want to dwell on this, I just want to say that this was very painful for my wife and my family, my sisters and brothers and so forth, my colleagues.”

Baldwin has eight children with his wife Hilaria Baldwin, and a 30-year-old daughter with ex-wife Kim Basinger.

Speaking about the incident impacting his own health, Baldwin said: “I can tell you, it broke every nerve in my body, spiritually, financially, work-wise, my career, my wife, my kids, my friends, my health."

"I mean, what it’s done to my health [...] if I told you what my health conditions have been since October 21st of 2021 — it’s taken 10 years off my life. It’s taken at least 10 years off my life.”

Baldwin went on to say that, at one point, he did have suicidal thoughts due to difficulty managing his life during the fallout.

Alec Baldwin spoke of his concern for his family and children (Bruce Glikas/Getty Images)

He added: "It’s really kind of unappealing to me because to talk about killing yourself and to actually kill yourself are two so profoundly distinctive things. I think a lot of people — I think countless people think about killing themselves and ending their life, and then very few do.

“And for me, I remember, I used to lay there in bed and go, ‘Oh God, I can’t wake up another day and have it be the same. It’s the same every day. And I can’t do it.’ But somehow I found the faith in God to, you know, not kill myself tomorrow. Let’s wait one more day.”

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.